September 11, 2019

Weekly Predictor: Confidence in the Alouettes?

The Canadian Press

Total CFL Pick ‘Em is back for 2019, allowing fans to pick a winner and set their confidence level in every game this season. It’s free to play, and with weekly winners and a season-long prize of $5,000, there’s nothing to lose. *View rules regarding streaks and prizing.

Week 14 features two matchups of contenders and one matchup that isn’t.

With three teams on bye weeks, it means there are three games for CFL fans to dig into for TSN CFL Fantasy and Total Pick ‘Em.

The week starts on Friday night with two struggling teams hoping to find a way out of losing streaks. The Lions have lost seven straight and the visiting REDBLACKS have dropped four in a row.

It’s also the return of Jonathon Jennings to BC after being let go in the off-season. Jennings has the chance to prove some wrong in his second-straight start since taking the starting role over from Dominique Davis last week.

The BC Lions are hoping home field helps turn around their season with five of their last seven games at home. While playoffs are no where in sight, they’re playing for pride.

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The Saturday double header starts in Calgary with two Grey Cup favourites as the Tiger-Cats visit the Stampeders.

There is talk around the league that the Tiger-Cats aren’t getting respect with a lot of the talk about favourites coming from the West Division. Well, if there was ever a time to prove that you’re among the elite, it would be a road win in Calgary.

The Stampeders are hoping to continue their hot streak with back-to-back wins with Bo Levi Mitchell at the helm again.

And the week finishes off in Saskatchewan with the Roughriders licking their wounds from a blow out loss to Winnipeg against the up and coming Montreal Alouettes.

The Montreal Alouettes come into Saskatchewan with something to prove after losing to Saskatchewan with over 17 minutes left in a rare weather shortened game. Montreal was not impressed with how that game ended and have since rattled off three straight wins. The Alouettes are 6-2 with Vernon Adams at quarterback. (Note: Adams didn’t start that game vs. Saskatchewan)

Saskatchewan had their pride hurt last week in the Banjo Bowl and need to get some momentum back in the race in the West before they head into their third and final bye week.

Ottawa at BC
Friday, 10:00 p.m. ET

LeoVegas Odds
Favourite: BC (-5.5)
O/U: 50.5 points

Will Mike Reilly and the Lions leave Week 14 victorious? (BCLions.com)

The BC Lions need to win this game. They are taking on a team that’s struggled just as badly as they have and have home field. This is one of those games that you can actually see trends moving in the Lions direction.

Ottawa’s offence hasn’t been able to produce 20 points since June, while the BC Lions defence has improved over the last couple of weeks.

The big question is the two quarterbacks. If Mike Reilly gets the time to get the ball to the receivers, this could be his first 300-yard passing game in over a month. Meanwhile, Jonathon Jennings has be highly motivated to prove something after his time in BC ended in animosity.

PICK: BC (35 confidence bonus)

Hamilton at Calgary
Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET

LeoVegas Odds
Favourite: Calgary (-6.5)
O/U: 51.5 points

Begelton has scored six touchdowns in his last three games, does it continue against a tough Hamilton defence? (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have a four game win streak coming into this matchup. However, all of the wins are against the three teams that are currently out of the playoff picture.

Dane Evans is going to have to play his best game since taking over from Jeremiah Masoli if the Tiger-Cats hope to win on the road in Calgary.

The Stampeders haven’t been the juggernauts at home that they have been over the last few seasons but their defence has been outstanding in the last couple of months. The Stampeders have allowed fewer than 20 points from opposing offences in eight of their last nine games.

Bo Levi Mitchell will go up against one of the best defences in the league and it’ll be a great gauge to see where the Stampeders match up against the top team in the CFL.

PICK: CALGARY (50 confidence bonus)

Montreal at Saskatchewan
Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET

LeoVegas Odds
Favourite: Saskatchewan (-6.5)
O/U: 49.5 points

Vernon Adams Jr. and co. will be looking to keep their winning streak alive against Saskatchewan (Dominick Gravel/Montreal Alouettes)

The Saskatchewan Roughriders had a heck of a time trying to handle the run game of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers over the last two weeks. And now they have William Stanback and Vernon Adams Jr. coming in. The Riders tackling better have improved this week or it could be another long game.

The Riders should hit the ground themselves after avoiding William Powell over the last few weeks. In the last four games, Powell has an average of seven runs per game. That is half of what he had in the first seven games of the year.

Montreal isn’t the best run defence so Powell could help control the game.

But there is one factor that I can’t ignore. Remember how ticked off Montreal was when that game was called due to weather just a few weeks ago, giving the Riders a seven point win with 17 minutes left in the game? Yeah, and they didn’t have Vernon Adams Jr. at quarterback in that game either. It’s my upset of the week.

PICK: MONTREAL (0 confidence bonus)


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Week 14 lineup: